Clinical nurse specialist role development: quantifying actual practice over three years

A task force of five clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) developed a data collection instrument to document CNS weekly work activities in 30-minute segments. This CNS group collected data for 2-week periods quarterly from June 1984 to May 1987. These data showed that: (1) greater than 50% of work time was allocated to clinical practice and consultation; (2) the proportion of time spent on activities in each role component varied with the number of years of experience in the CNS role; and (3) variations in amount of time spent in role categories were evident among practice specialties. The project demonstrated that it is possible to document CNS practice conveniently. The project has also enhanced the professional development of the CNS group and has set the stage for implementing peer review.